


Guns and Roses

by DerpyMuffinz



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Censorship, Eruri and Eremin are past but important to the story, Gang AU, Genderfluid Armin, Hange/Armin if you squint, Implied Sexual Content, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Minor Eruri and Eremin, Other, but not by Levi, drug mention, it heavily influences the plot, other illegal stuff, slow update, this story will get angsty too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 02:01:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7080106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerpyMuffinz/pseuds/DerpyMuffinz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren had always thought that he was untouchable, having everything he wanted, getting spoiled by his sister, who is the head of one of the biggest Gangs in the city of Shiganshina. But after an unfortunate run in with a couple of desperate rival gang members, Eren and Armin were backed into a corner. Literally. Now the spoiled prince has to learn to fend for himself in a world of deals and underground operations, and that means no more gifts, no more apartment, and most importantly, no one to run crying to. Oh how the mighty have fallen.</p><p>He held a gun to my chest and pulled the trigger. He's the Queen Bee and I fell to his stinger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bittersweet

**Author's Note:**

> Yoooooo! Welcome to the emotional roller coaster I like to call Guns and Roses! Huge thanks to xXStarrzXx and Nitosenpai for editing this, you guys are the best! This fic is censored, just as a warning, but I don't think that an asterisk in the middle of a word is really going to bother many people. But you have been warned I guess. Anyways, Enjoy!

“Eren, that thing looks like it'll give you diabetes in one bite.” Armin eyed the treat warily while Eren grinned widely and set the large plastic bowl on their table.

“It's no fun unless you get all of the flavors.” Armin rolled his eyes, shaking his head fondly at Eren. The brunette beamed proudly at his creation, sitting across from Armin and grabbing a spoon from the mess. A large bowl of four ice cream scoops sat on their little metal table, already beginning to melt from the heat. Three scoops surrounded the rim of the bowl, and the fourth scoop peeked out from underneath the others.

“Fine, I'll let it slide as long as we don't eat _too_ much.” Despite his sensible words, Armin’s face had taken on a predatory expression, which was slightly terrifying on his innocent face and did not at all hint that he would follow his own words. He shoveled a spoonful of raspberry ice cream in his mouth and sighed contentedly.

“Marco’s ice cream is the best.” Eren made a noise of agreement around a mouthful of mint chocolate chip, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk to hold the frozen treat. This was normal for the two of them, relaxing in the city square and eating a huge bowl of ice cream from the quaint little shop surrounding the large patio. Eren lifted a spoonful of ice cream, all of the different flavors stacked and compressed down onto the bright red spoon. He whined when half of his stack fell onto the warm brick and melted on contact. While he mourned the loss of his ice cream, Armin stole the rest of what was on his spoon. Eren growled in frustration when he noticed the missing treat. He scooped another spoonful of ice cream, watching it intently as if _daring_ it to disappear.

“You look like you’re going to throw that on the ground, and I’d hate for you to do that if Sasha were to walk by later.” Armin finished the last of the raspberry ice cream on his end, and dug into the “hidden” scoop at the bottom. His azure eyes brightened and a huge grin spread across his lips. The same grin was soon on Eren’s face, and they locked eyes.

“Cookie dough.”

Armin giggled and ate more, and soon the entire treat was gone. They left their little metal table and crossed the street, walking in the direction of Armin's apartment. Eren put his hands behind his head as he walked, and Armin skipped and hummed happily.

“It's rare to see you this happy. I'm guessing it's safe to assume that everything is going well at work?” Armin nodded, looking up at Eren and smiling brightly.

“Yup. Things have been slower. I finally managed to organize the mission reports. I sent an organization plan to the warehouse and hopefully that'll be put in place. How about you? You must be happier than usual, you got out of bed this morning.”

“ _Ha ha_ , very funny,” Eren pouted, “but yeah, everything's fine. I got that new snowboard I wanted and I called Mikasa to see if we could take a trip to the mountains, but-” Eren trailed off when Armin grabbed his arm tightly. His expression went from confusion to worry when he noticed the change in atmosphere.

“Ar?” Armin glanced over his shoulder and cursed, tugging Eren's hand and forcing him to walk faster. _What the h*ll? Armin is never this worried…_

“Eren, we’re being followed.” This statement kicked his senses kicked into high gear. He suddenly became very aware of how empty the streets were, and how easy it would be for whoever it was to grab them. The only living souls out on the streets were a few stray cats and the occasional smoker out on the steps of their apartment.

“How many?” Armin glanced back once more before staring up at Eren, his lips set in a thin line. Eren’s mind was buzzing with questions as he quickened his pace slightly. _Who's after us? Do they know who we are?_

“One, behind us.” Armin tapped Eren’s right arm and he glanced over his shoulder. A man was in fact following them, donned in a black trench coat, sunglasses, and a crisp, white cravat. _Who the h*ll wears a trench coat in May?_

“Armin, laugh at something I said,” Eren said in a low voice. Armin blinked in confusion but did as he was told, leaning on Eren and giggling. The distraction allowed them to move faster, hopefully without the man behind them noticing. They had to reach the heart of Shiganshina and fast. There were more witnesses in the square, and it would be harder to grab them unnoticed.

“Now what?” Armin asked, walking even faster to keep up. Eren’s mind was moving as fast as his feet, if not faster. They couldn't risk going to Armin’s apartment, in case they tried to hurt him, and they couldn't go to Eren’s apartment because his address was classified. Their only hope at the moment was to try and lose the men in the bustle of the square and find another route to the hideout.

“We’ll lose them in the crowd and let Mikasa know. I think Jean and Sasha are stationed somewhere around here, they may be able to help. Once we round the corner, put on my hat and tuck all of your hair in it.” Eren took off his SnapBack, _his limited edition Alphonse Elric SnapBack that he'd had since he was thirteen_ , and handed it to Armin gently. He wanted to scream when Armin crumpled it in his fist to hide it from sight. They were almost at the corner, almost to salvation, until the screwup.

Eren made the f*cking _brilliant_ decision to turn into an alley for a shortcut. A man was waiting there, leaning against the wall as if he'd been expecting them. Eren froze, and Armin crashed into his back at his abrupt stop, giving him a confused, panicked look as the two-toned haired man that had been following them stood at the entrance to the alley and trapped them in inside.

The man who had been leaning against the wall pushed off of it, rolling his body in the process as he stood to block the other exit. His thick build made Eren grit his teeth in frustration.

"Eren," Armin's panicked voice shook from behind him, causing Eren to cast a dangerous glare over his shoulder. Two hands clamped onto him before he could fully turn, and that was all he needed for the panic to truly set in.

Eren struggled, trying to detach himself from the hands that trapped him in a vice grip. He was pulling his attacker forward, and Armin left his side. He began to lose it completely. _Sh*tsh*tsh*t This is my fault this is all my fault I dragged Armin here this is all my fault-_ Eren could only blame his reaction on adrenaline and fear, because he didn't remember making the decision to fight his captor head-on. He brought his heel up and into the family jewels of the man holding him. The man made a squeaking sound and fell over, allowing Eren to get the upper hand. He straddled his captor and prepared to punch, heart thumping wildly.

“Who the f*ck are you, and what do you want?” The man only stared up at him with what seemed to be a mock interpretation of boredom. His half-lidded eyes swam with desperation unlike anything Eren had seen before.

“Eren Jaeger?”

“What?” The man’s lips pulled up into a smirk, confidence replacing the desperation coming off him in waves. His two-toned hair framed his face, giving his eyes an almost-murderous look.

“You're coming with me.” The man threw Eren off of him and stood, pulling a knife out of his pocket. Fear took hold of him, constricting his throat like a snake, a deadly one at that. Sure, he'd been in his fair share of fights before, mostly with b*stards who thought they were stronger than they really were (*cough*Jean*cough), but this was different. _Oh god this was different._

With a wide-eyed, shaking Armin somewhere behind him, Eren tried to appear calm, but the fact that he didn't know who these men where and what they wanted was honestly scaring the living f*ck out of him. They were gang members, that much was certain from the matching trench coats, but Eren had never seen them before. He knew what all the others gangs in town wore, and these guys were _definitely_ not from Shiganshina.

_A neighboring city maybe? But then, why are they here? And why follow us?_

The man lunged at Eren and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the other end of the alley. The guy had an iron grip and he was sure that his wrists would be permanently bruised after the encounter. _Well, if I make it out alive._ That thought spurred Eren to rebellion, and he dug his heels into the ground and pulled away.

“Like h*ll I'm going with you. I'm not going anywhere without a fight.” Eren glared at the man, trying his best to disguise his fear. His heart was throbbing in his ears, in his throat, everywhere. The man glared back and growled softly.

“Fine then, you little runt.” The man kicked Eren hard in the stomach and sent him flying into the old brick of the alley. All the air rushed out of his lungs and he lay slumped against the wall, coughing and trying to get some oxygen back. When he moved to get up, still hacking and coughing, the man pushed him back down and held a knife to his throat.

“Still want to fight?” Eren glared up at the smug expression of the man, whose hazel eyes were practically sparkling with confidence. He was tempted to spit on the man’s face as an act of defiance, and he would've too, if it weren't for the blade at his neck.

“Auruo, you sly little f*cker.” A rich voice echoed through the alley, and the confidence on the man’s face morphed into fear. He scrambled away from Eren and saluted, still as a statue. Eren began to slowly inch away, keeping his eyes on the new man who had appeared. He was short, almost an entire head shorter than Eren, who found it slightly amusing that this new guy had to _look up_ to speak to the man that had previously attacked him. He was dressed impeccably despite the place he was in, wearing a white dress shirt, black slacks, and a crisp white cravat. A black suit jacket hung from his shoulders like a cape.

“C-Corporal Levi!”

“What do you think you're doing here?” Auruo swallowed nervously, still standing rigid. Eren had scooted nearly a whole foot without being noticed. He reached into his pocket slowly, finding his phone, and pushing the home button three times. One short push, two long ones. This activated the emergency messaging system that came with the phone. He knew that it would send a message directly to Mikasa, but his fear was that she wouldn't get there in time.

_I've never doubted the 104th before, never had to. But now that I think about it, my fear may be justified. I'm on the floor, Armin's being held at gunpoint, and all with Jean and Sasha right around the corner. I hope they get the signal…_

“I overheard your m-meeting before I left, and you mentioned wanting the Jaeger boy, s-so I thought-”

“You thought I'd let you back in.” Auruo nodded shakily, looking into the eyes of the man he had previously called Corporal. The man, Levi, chuckled humorlessly, then glared at Auruo. He kicked him in the stomach, placing his boot at Auruo’s throat.

“I told you to never show your face near here again, and what do you do? I find you tormenting this poor kid in an alley while you chase a fantasy.” He looked at the guy holding Armin, and made a ‘tch’ sound.

“Correction, _two_ poor kids. Gunter,” he nodded at the man who was holding Armin, and the man nodded back. Levi looked down at Auruo, who was desperately clutching his leg and trying to remove it from his throat.

“He responded to being called Eren Jaeger, sir.” The man looked at Eren, who froze. He'd gotten a good three feet farther during their conversation, very close to where Gunter was holding Armin. _All l need is a good opportunity…_

“Interesting. Kid, you're coming with me,” Levi let Auruo up, and started making his way towards Eren, who stood apprehensively.

“Listen, since you apparently didn't catch the memo, I'm not going with either of you. I'm going home, and you *ssholes won't follow me.” He smirked, striding over. Eren decided that his opportunity was now. He kicked Gunter in the leg and snatched the gun from his hand. He hit Gunter in the head as hard as he could, then leveled the barrel of the gun at the short man. Levi smirked wider and held up his hands in surrender.

“C’mon kid, we both know you won't shoot me. Just put the gun down and come with me.” Eren stared straight into his eyes, showing no intention of backing down.

“Armin, I want you to run.”

“Wha- No! I'm not leaving you!” Eren grit his teeth and shifted his hold on the gun.

“Armin, go! _Now!_ ” Armin had never heard that much desperation in Eren's voice before, so he slowly took a few steps back, then bolted. Eren felt slight relief. _At least he's safe now._ Levi began taking slow steps towards Eren, hands still raised. _D*mn it, Mikasa! Where are you?_

“Take one more step and I'll shoot.” He arched an eyebrow.

“I don't think you will.” Eren began to pull the trigger, and at the last second, he aimed above the man. Levi looked up only to be drenched by water from the water pipe he had shot. Eren bolted, tucking the gun in the waistband of his jeans as he ran. He heard a loud _“What the f*ck!”_ but chose to ignore it, running as fast is he could and plowing straight into Armin. Armin brushed off the impact and tugged him down the sidewalk. The sound of their shoes slapping the concrete was overshadowed by their hearts pounding in their ears.

They didn't get very far.

Two arms yanked them into another alley. Auruo grabbed Eren again, holding his arms behind his back while keeping him at arms length. One drenched Levi stood at across from him, very obviously p*ssed off. Gunter grabbed Armin, holding him much tighter than before. Levi walked up to Eren and glared, making him want to shiver. His eyes were two pools of silver, practically glowing with anger in the dim light of the alley. The short man punched Eren in the cheek, _hard_ , and then grabbed his jaw, forcing Eren to stare into eyes.

“You are going to regret that _severely_ ,” he hissed, and Eren flinched. He slid the gun out of Eren's jeans and walked behind him, towards Armin. Auruo turned Eren so he could watch the short man hold the gun to Armin's head.

“I don't want to, but I will if I have to.” Armin was crying, watching Eren with wide eyes. Eren's will to fight completely left him.

“Please,” he whispered, “don't hurt him.” Eren took a shaky breath, and tears gathered in his eyes.

“I-I'll go with you, I'll do whatever you want, just please don't hurt him.”

A black SUV pulled up and a woman stepped out. She had shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair that swayed when she walked. She handed a black bundle to Levi.

“A new coat for you, sir.”

“Thank you, Petra. Auruo, take Jaeger to the car.” The short man shrugged on a black trench coat, and Auruo began to drag him to the SUV. He looked over his shoulder, watching Armin as he went. Levi went with him, keeping his gun pointed at Armin's head. They were almost to the car when Eren noticed a man with two-toned hair run into the alley. It wasn't Auruo.

“Jean!”

_“Eren!”_

Relief washed over him as Jean and Sasha ran into the alley, guns pointed, and following right behind them with her red scarf flapping in the wind, was Mikasa. Her eyes darkened, and Eren swore he could see the ‘kill’ switch flip on in her head. _Runs in the family, I suppose._ Behind her stood Thomas and Mina, all with guns aimed at the company. Petra, Levi, and Gunter aimed back, and Auruo held his only weapon, a pocket knife, at Eren's throat.

The rest was a blur.


	2. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Eren realizes that his life, as he knew it, is over. 
> 
>  
> 
> Trapped in a box, no where to go. If only I had never left my home sweet home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2, wooop woop! This one's longer so I hope you enjoy! Comments and criticism are welcome, as long as it's constructive. Like don't tell me I suck, tell me why I suck. I'm hoping to make these chapters around this length or longer but no promises. Enjoy!

Eren jumped when the first shot was fired. He tripped too, and he would've fallen flat on his face if Levi hadn't grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the car. He pulled away from Levi as hard as he could, but it was to no avail. The mysterious short man didn't even seem fazed by Eren's relentless resistance. He simply kept dragging Eren with one hand and firing bullets at his friends with the other. The other members of Levi’s party, Petra, Gunter, and Auruo, were also defending as they retreated to the car. Auruo had somehow obtained a gun and was clutching his shoulder, where blood was leaking out from under his hand, but he still continued to shoot, despite the apparent pain.

Mikasa had been consistently moving forward since she had arrived, taking cover behind dumpsters and trash cans while trying to get to Eren. Levi had her pinned behind a trash can, shooting whenever she peeked out. Jean, Sasha, Thomas, and Mina were following her lead. Sasha and Jean were scarily in sync, alternating between firing shots and ducking away, covering each other's backs. Sasha shot Gunter in the leg and he fell. Eren watched as Mina was shot in the stomach twice. The bullets came from Levi’s gun.

_“Mina!”_ Eren screamed and yanked as hard as he could, every fiber of his being yearning to _escape_ , to _save_ her. He broke away briefly, sprinting towards Mina, but Levi grabbed his arm and pulled hard enough to bruise. Levi pulled Eren behind him when Mikasa began to shoot at him. They backed up like that towards the car. _It's no use._ Tears blurred his vision, but he could see the silhouette of Thomas stand over her. He heard a gunshot and a scream, but he wasn't sure who it belonged to. Before he could find out, he was shoved in the car. Levi stood in front of the door he had previously shoved Eren in and was shooting with terrifying accuracy.

Eren tried to escape out of the other door but Auruo swung in, trapping him between Levi’s back and him. Petra was already in the driver’s seat and was shooting out of the window. Gunter limped into the passenger seat and shut the door. Petra floored it before he even had his seatbelt on. Levi continued firing out of the window as they pulled away. Eren turned to watch out of the rear window. He regretted it almost immediately.

Thomas was standing over Mina’s body and shooting at Levi and the car. Eren could hear the tiny _dinks_ of the bullets hitting the metal, but none pierced it. _Bulletproof, of course._ Levi cursed under his breath and fired again, and Eren watched as Thomas was shot three times in the chest, and he fell.

“ _Thomas!_ Oh my god, _oh my god Thomas_ ,” Eren screamed and brought his hand to his mouth as hot tears rolled down his face. He took shaky breaths as he stared at the corpses of his two friends through the tinted glass. Petra put the car in reverse, and turned around so that they were facing the way they had came in. During the reorientation, Jean had run up to the car and attempted to break the glass. He tried to shoot but the bullets did no damage. _They even have bulletproof windows…_ Jean began to beat violently on the window with the butt of his gun, tears leaving wet tracks on his cheeks. Jean was yelling his name, and although the glass muffled him, Eren could still hear the pain in his voice.

Jean was losing hope, his strikes began to slow, and his look grew more desperate. Eren placed his palm against the glass and shook his head with a sad smile. He was freaking out, fear blotting out every other emotion until he was nothing but a ball of nerves, but somehow he was calm. It was like he'd been disconnected from his emotions, everything was a distant blur. Jean, however, was the opposite. His hazel eyes were a rolling sea of hurt and anger, but mostly fear. _The fear of falling apart. The fear of losing everyone you have one by one until you're left standing in the ashes of your sins._ They were fears Eren also had, fears that were coming true.

_‘Jean’_ , Eren mouthed, trying not to draw too much attention. Petra and Levi were focusing on shooting while Gunter and Auruo were trying to patch up their wounds and avoid bleeding on the seats. The dull thumps of Jean’s gun hitting the glass were overshadowed by the sounds of gunshots. Eren guessed that Jean could see his lack of hope, because he was shaking his head violently and saying something Eren couldn't hear. He opened his mouth to respond, but the car lurched forward and in a split-second decision, he raised three fingers.

_“Guys, we need a signal.” Armin nodded quietly in agreement, looking between Mikasa and Eren with wide blue eyes._

_“We're propelling ourselves into a dangerous world, having some sort of communication would be useful. And we're young too, so people may just think it's some sort of secret handshake.” Eren's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and he looked at Armin with a huge grin._

_“What if we did this?” He raised three fingers and looked at Armin for approval. The blonde nodded, and they both turned their heads towards Mikasa. Her long hair cast a shadow over her face and made the silence chilling. However, the mood changed when she looked up with a genuine smile._

_“Let's do it.”_

Jean’s eyes widened and a tear slipped down his cheek, wetting skin that had just begun to dry. His gun fell to the ground as the SUV began to pull out of the alley, speeding up as it reached the exit. Despite the fact that the car was going somewhere around 50 miles per hour, the scene behind them seemed to unfold in slow motion. Eren watched as Jean attempted to sprint after the SUV, but slowed down with a hopeless look. He could see Jean’s mouth form something around the lines of ‘ _d*mn it’_ , as his fists tangled in his ashy hair. Sasha was trying her best to care for Mina and Thomas, but Jean yelled something at her and she screamed something back. Armin was watching with empty eyes, an expression that scared Eren greatly. Worst of all was Mikasa.

At the sight of Eren's signal she had collapsed to the ground, an utterly broken expression on her face. Her gun fell to the ground, but her eyes never wavered, staring desperately into Eren's as if she could teleport him back to her side. Armin limped over to her and collapsed, throwing his arms around her in a tight embrace and muttering something Eren couldn't make out. Mikasa didn't return the hug, she simply stared, staring until there was nothing left to look at.

                                                                                  -•-•-•-•-

The car ride was stressful.

Eren had long since given up on escape, he had nowhere to go. As soon as the car had rounded the corner, Levi had pulled himself back into the interior and shut the door. Petra rolled up the window seconds after, and they began to blend in with the Shiganshina traffic. Eren's eyes roamed around the car, traveling from Auruo’s wounded shoulder to Levi’s form in the corner. He was holding a pistol in his hand and cleaning it. Eren's stomach churned at the sight. He pulled out the clip and snorted when he saw that only three bullets were left. Petra handed him a new gun, this one with a silencer attached, without looking away from the road. Eren's eyes widened and he covered his mouth.

_They're going to kill me._ The thought came up before he could reassure himself. He watched as the guns were exchanged, and his eyes travelled up (or more accurately, down) to Levi's. When he saw the wild fear in Eren's eyes he put his hand on Eren’s shoulder and squeezed. He flinched when contact was made.

“We're not going to kill you kid, I swear. If I wanted you dead, I would've done it already.” The last sentence had another emotion behind it, something else that Eren couldn't make out. Before he could open his mouth to ask Levi what he meant, Petra spoke up. Her warm eyes met Eren's in the rearview mirror.

“He's right. Your life isn't in danger.” That put Eren at ease slightly, but he could've sworn he heard Levi mutter something along the lines of _‘not yet, anyway’_. He decided to ignore it, staring out the window as the city flew by. They were heading for the highway, which most likely meant they were leaving the county all together. The only other places in the Maria district were three other small cities alike to Shiganshina, and those wouldn't exactly be the smartest places to take a captive. The police would find the kidnappers in an instant. These people were from a bigger city.

They approached the archway that marked the entrance to the highway. Eren watched as the emblem of the Maria district passed overhead, the head of a woman with a knight’s visor, and he left his hometown for good. Levi pulled something out of the pocket attached to the seat in front of it, a large black cloth. He shook it out and it seemed to be a bag, large enough for a head. Levi slipped the cloth over Eren’s head and tightened a drawstring so the bag closed gently around Eren's neck. He heard metal clinking nearby, and he instinctively turned towards the sound, although he was blinded. He felt something cold clamp on his wrists, and connected the dots. _Handcuffs_. Petra’s warm voice came from somewhere in front of him.

“This is just for security precautions, don't worry. We’ll be there in no time.” Eren smiled weakly in the bag, feeling a bit of the fear dissipate at her gentle words. Even though she would probably shank him and leave him for dead, Eren couldn't help but like Petra. She seemed sweet, reassured Eren, and was the only one in this d*mn car who would call him by his first name. So, she wasn't bad, considering that she was the getaway driver for a bunch of gun-wielding maniacs.

“O-okay,” he said, voice cracking slightly from the stress earlier. Eren leaned back against the seat of the car, and tried to relax as much as he could. He was on edge, every sound or minor bump in the road causing him to jump or flinch. The darkness of the bag brought thoughts of what had just happened, swallowing him in pain and anger. Eren closed his eyes, engulfed in the inky darkness.

_Mikasa, please, come save me._

  
                                                                                      -•-•-•-•-

Eren stirred when he felt the drawstring around his neck being loosened. Light flooded into his vision and he hissed slightly at the sudden brightness. When his eyes adjusted, he saw that the car was empty except for him. Petra was holding the car door open and trying to help him out. Eren scoffed at her and turned his nose up.

_“I don't need your help,”_ he practically growled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in the cuffs.

_Mistake._

He saw hurt flash in her warm amber eyes, and he immediately regretted his actions. However, he wasn't going to admit that. So, in a feeble (and honestly quite rude) attempt to save his pride, Eren confidently stepped out of the car without Petra’s assistance. Or at least, he would've, if he'd had his hands free to steady him. Instead, he stumbled on the concrete and Petra caught him, steadying him.

“You don't need my help, huh?” She was clearly amused, but quickly dropped the subject. Eren was grateful for that, at least. She shut the door behind him and grabbed Eren's elbow. They began to walk across the parking garage they were currently in. It was filled with all sorts of vehicles, from sleek motorcycles to no-doubt bulletproof SUVs, all in the same shade of black. He marveled at the sight, and Petra must've caught him, because he heard her laugh.

“That one is the Corporal’s favorite.” She pointed to a motorcycle that was different from the others. This one was a matte black rather than shiny, every accent and detail painted over except for the rims, which remained a shiny silver. Everything about the bike screamed dangerous and bad*ss, so Eren wasn't surprised to find out that it was Levi’s preferred vehicle. Petra pulled him over to an elevator and and fished around in her pockets, pulling out a keycard. She swiped it through a reader mounted next to the door and the light on the device flashed green, beeping to announce that Petra could enter. She held the door open for Eren and followed him in. She swiped her card through another reader and the elevator dinged, beginning to lift them upwards.

Eren looked up at the screen above the door that would usually indicate the floors they were whizzing by, but it was blank, and something about that made Eren uneasy. He glanced at the panel of buttons and counted how many they were, trying to orient himself somewhat. _66._ The elevator began to slow, and it dinged cheerfully, the doors sliding open to reveal a surprisingly bright corridor. The left wall was made entirely out of windows and offered a panoramic view of the city scape below them. Eren's breath hitched at the sight. The sun had begun to set and was casting its golden rays over the concrete jungle below. The light filtered in through the windows and illuminated the pristine white walls and floor. _It's this late already?_

It was like reality had slapped Eren hard in the face. He knew it had been late afternoon when he had been captured, but the fact that the sun was setting, that the day was ending, brought on a new wave of fear. Petra’s gentle grip brought him back to the present. He turned to her with misty eyes.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” The sun’s rays made her face glow in the warm light, making her smile even brighter. The scene outside was gorgeous, too gorgeous, and it brought memories spilling to the front of his mind like waterfalls, washing away his will to repress them. Petra frowned slightly when she noticed the tears spilling over Eren’s lashes and down onto his cheeks. She brought her thumb to his cheek and wiped them away.

“Eren, I know that this is hard for you. I would apologize for dragging you into this, but in this sort of business, there are no apologies. I swear to you that you won't be harmed by anyone here, no matter how scary things may seem. Keep your chin up, okay? You've gotta look tough when you see Levi.” He nodded, whispering a shaky _“thank you”,_ and willed the tears to stop. The two continued their walk. The hallway opened into a huge courtyard-like room, with benches and seats. The room was at least two stories high, complete with a large balcony on the second floor that overlooked the area. The walls and floors were smooth concrete, but surprisingly clean. The courtyard was populated by a large number of people, all dressed in black. They stared at him, some judging, others curious. It was unsettling, to say the least.

Petra walked him across the open space, sternly glaring at the people watching as they passed. They quickly averted their eyes and returned to their previous conversation. The two entered a hallway that seemed different from where Eren had just come from. It reminded him of a hotel, but with concrete walls and floors. Every door was fit with a card reader above the handle. They often saw groups of two or three people chatting with each other in the hallways, and they would stop and whisper every time the pair passed. Eren decided to try and distract himself from the amount of staring he was being subjected to, the feeling of eyes on him making his skin crawl.

“Petra, where are we?” She offered him an apologetic smile.

“I'm not allowed to say. Just call it...Headquarters.” Eren rolled his eyes. _The angry midget is responsible for this, I'm sure._

“Okay then. What's someone like you doing in _headquarters_ ,” he asked, sarcasm dripping in his tone, “You're different than everyone else.” Petra offered him a knowing smile, one that frankly disturbed Eren more than her answer did.

“Sometimes, everything is not as it seems.” He opened his mouth to ask her what she meant, but his words were lost when they stopped in front of a pair of large metal doors. Petra faced Eren, brushing off his shirt and setting her hands on his shoulders.

“Alright, we’re here. I don't know what's going to happen in there, but there's one thing I want to tell you before we go in. The Corporal has a thing about respect, so it would be in your best interest to only address him as Corporal or sir from now on.” Eren nodded, giving her a half-smile.

“Got it.” Petra nodded, then rapped on the the door twice with her knuckles. Eren stiffened.

“Petra Ral reporting, sir. I've brought Eren,” she said, grabbing Eren's elbow again. He began to feel slightly nervous.

“Enter.” There was a single click and Petra pushed the door open. However, she did not follow Eren in, and he quickly realized she never intended to. She gave him a thumbs up and shut the door behind him with a loud and foreboding clang.   
With a nervous gulp, Eren turned away from the door and took in the sight in front of him. It was an office, and a huge one at that. The walls were painted crimson with black paneling and accents. Two mahogany staircases wound up towards a wooden loft with many hallways leading off to god-knows-where. They perfectly framed the desk in front of him, which sat in front of a wall made entirely of windows. A chaise lounge sat off to the side, along with couches and chairs, like a small sitting room. Levi stood in front of this window wall, now dressed in a scarlet dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black jeans. He only had a few seconds to take this in, however, because faster than his mind could even comprehend, something plowed into him, picked him up, and began squeezing out what little air was left in his lungs.

“Oh my god, is this him? He's so _cute_! You picked a good one.” The short man sighed.

“Hanji, put him down.” Eren felt his feet touch the ground and hunched over, relished in the oxygen he was regaining. He looked up when he saw a hand being extended.

“Hanji Zoë. Squad Leader, science enthusiast, and professional lunatic.” In front of him stood a person with a mop of wild, messy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“I'm...Eren. I would shake, but…” He shook his chained wrists. Hanji snorted, pulled out a key, and unlocked his cuffs. They clattered to the floor, and Eren stared at Hanji in disbelief.

“What, you thought we would keep you locked up? We may be criminals, but we're not monsters.” Hanji winked at him behind a pair of glasses and Eren rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Levi muttered something under his breath that Eren didn't quite catch, before clearing his throat.

“Jaeger, have a seat.” He motioned to a pair black of couches in front of his desk. Levi and Hanji sat on one, and Eren hesitantly sat on the other. He opened his mouth to ask a question but Levi cut him off.

“Listen up, kid. I'm only saying this once, so you better pay attention. You aren't going back to your sister until I say so. If you even _think_ about running, I'll put a bullet through your little blonde friend’s head. What was his name again? Armin?” Levi smirked when Eren gritted his teeth. _I'll knock that smirk right off your face, b*stard._

“You won't be living the high life here like you did back in Sh*tganshina, got it? If you want food, you'll get off your *ss and get it. If you want something, you'll work for it.” Eren opened his mouth to retaliate, but _surprise surprise_ , Levi cut him off again.

“Basically, you’ll be like one of us. You will be appointed as an official member of the Survey Corps, complete with normal responsibilities. I think this is pretty generous, considering the fact that I could stuff your *ss in a cell and leave you down there.” Levi stared at Eren intensely, like he was analyzing every inch of him. It made him uncomfortable, but he stared back, like a silent challenge. Hanji stood and bounded across Levi’s office, fiddling with something on the floor behind his desk. Levi slid his gaze off of Eren and turned around to watch. Hanji popped up moments later with a black bundle and promptly shoved into Eren's arms.

“That's your trenchcoat. I highly suggest that you wear it on missions, because if you don't, you could be hit by friendly fire, and that would be a pretty sh*tty day, don't you think?” He set the bundle on the floor, but quickly picked it back up again when he saw Levi’s disgusted glare.

“You'll be reporting to Hanji first thing tomorrow morning, got it? They'll run some medical tests on you and make sure you aren't dying or anything.” Eren's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the use of the pronoun. Hanji smiled softly.

“I'm nonbinary,” they said, and Eren's mouth formed an O shape as he digested the information. He nodded in understanding, smiling as well to show his acceptance. Hanji seemed slightly relieved. Levi stared at Eren again, that same calculating look from before resting on his face.

“After you see Hanji, you'll head over to Petra and Eld for training. We've got a job coming up, and I'm not going to babysit you, understand?” _You're the one who should be babysat. You're short enough to be a child._

“What kind of job?” Eren was relieved that he could _finally_ speak without being rudely interrupted. Levi glanced over at Hanji with a brow raised.

“What is it this time?” They tapped their chin while thinking, and their face brightened when the answer came to mind.

“Drug trafficking.” Eren's eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly, fear constricting his chest. Levi just nodded, nonchalant about the entire ordeal. _How the h*ll are they so calm?_

“I-I don't know how to do that sort of thing!” Levi scoffed, an annoyed look crossing his face. He leaned dangerously close to Eren.

“ _So you'll learn._ This is the kind of thing you'll be doing from now on, so get used to it. This is what you signed up for when you joined a gang, kid.”

“But I-” Levi glared, making it clear that no more conversation about the subject was welcome. Eren gritted his teeth in frustration, clenching his fists.

“Yes _sir._ ” Levi's eyes narrowed at Eren's hostile tone, but the brunette feigned innocence. He sighed, getting up from the couch and heading over to the windows again. He crossed his arms and stared out at the city, which was brightly lit in the darkness of the night.

“You're dismissed, Jaeger. Hanji, take him to his room.” Eren was not happy about Levi's contemptuous tone, and was about ready to give the short man a piece of his mind, but Hanji grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the room before he could get himself killed. Eren was still p*ssed about it though. Hanji pulled him down the hall and past Auruo and Gunter, who were heading the opposite way. Eren felt a swell of satisfaction when he noticed Gunter was limping and that Auruo's arm was in a sling. _Serves you b*stards right._ Eren and Hanji stopped in front of a door like the others he had seen, fit with a keycard reader. Hanji fished around in their pocket, pulled out a blank white key card, and handed it to Eren.

“This is yours. It'll only work in areas you're authorized to enter, but it's your only way in. _Do not, under any circumstances, lose this card._ Levi will be p*ssed if you do, and trust me, you wouldn't like him when he's angry.” _I don't like him anyway._

“Okay, thanks.” He forced a smile, and felt a slight twinge of guilt when Hanji returned a genuine smile.

“Get some rest, kiddo. You've got a big day tomorrow.” Eren put the card in the reader and pulled it back out, pushing the door open and entering the room. It was a little small, but comfortable. A queen sized bed lay against the opposite wall with a bedside table on each side, a lamp sitting on each one. On the right wall there was a closet and on the left there was a door that led to a small bathroom. A dresser sat near the door and a bulletin board hung above it. Eren chucked the black bundle in the vague direction of the closet, kicked his shoes in that direction as well, and threw his shirt after both of them to complete the holy trinity. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and laid it on one of the tables to avoid shattering the screen. Eren then flopped on the bed and wormed his way under the covers, trying to get as comfortable as he could. Despite his efforts, it took hours before he even felt the least bit tired. His mind seemed h*llbent on not letting him rest, as memories of past events and speculations of future ones whirled around in his head. The most present image was of Mikasa’s broken expression as the car rounded the corner. He could see the exact moment that her biggest fear was confirmed, that her family was being hurt and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Eren squeezed his eyes shut, and tangled his fists in the sheets, a tear slipping out from his eye and onto the pillow.

_Mikasa, I need you. Please, come help me_ , was his last thought before he finally drifted off into a restless sleep.


End file.
